Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

"Father really went to great lengths."

Lu Bing shook his head with a wry smile.

"Yunyang Prefecture is full of deep mountains and forests. You can walk a long way in three days. If you take the wrong step on these mountain roads, you may go completely in the wrong direction."

Let alone outsiders, even if you went back the way you came, you probably wouldn't be able to find that village again.

Forget it, as long as we can't find the people from the Eastern Depot, that's fine.

How did you obtain Lu Chen's travel permit?

As expected, Lu Bing did not fixate on the place where Lu Chen had lived since childhood.

What he wants most right now is to come up with a story as soon as possible that can absolve the Lu family of all responsibility, not to actually find the mysterious manor that Lu Chen mentioned, which doesn't actually exist.

Even if we were to look for it, that would be after we've gotten past this hurdle and everything has settled down.

"Brother, on April 29th last year, the steward of the manor returned from outside, bringing back a letter from home and a travel permit."

Lu Chen began to make up a story.

"That family letter was written by Chen, the principal wife of Lu Kun, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who was working in the capital. It was addressed to Lu Kun's illegitimate son, Lu Chen, who was living in Chengtian Prefecture. It stated that Lu Kun was seriously ill and asked him to come to the capital to take care of his father."

This is the first time I've seen the name "Lu Chen".

The steward told me that the letter was actually a code, and that the one who was truly seriously ill was my father, Lord Lu Song.

There is indeed a boy named Lu Chen, who is the same age as me, in Chengtian Prefecture. He has been living with my birth mother, Wang Shi, all these years.

This boy was my double. After receiving the letter, he obtained a travel permit at the yamen (government office) and then sent the letter and the travel permit to a pre-arranged location.

I never met this "Lu Chen" from beginning to end.

The next day, the steward, along with several servants and me, set off. After three days of hiking through the mountains, we arrived at the small town on the south bank of the river at sunset on the second day of the fifth lunar month.

They escorted me there, and then I traveled north alone with "Lu Chen's" travel permit. Later, I met Yuan Xun, who had been sent by my brother, in Wadian Town.

"I can't figure out why my father made this arrangement."

After taking some time to process what he had said, Lu Bing finally spoke.

"What we need to do now is not to investigate Father's intentions back then, but to produce a set of impeccable evidence that can withstand the investigation of the Eastern Depot."

Until you obtained the "Lu Chen" travel permit, it was all part of Father's scheme.

That stand-in who grew up in Chengtian Prefecture will certainly not appear again.

Father has already cut off this lead for us.

"Does my brother mean we shouldn't complicate things and should conceal the fact that Father raised him outside from a young age?"

Lu Wei thought for a moment,

"To directly replace 'Lu Chen,' who grew up with his birth mother, Wang, on the Chengtian Prefecture estate?"

"That manor deep in the mountains must be hidden away; we cannot explain this to His Majesty."

Lu Bing looked at Lu Chen.

"But directly replacing that stand-in also carries risks."

Having lived in Chengtian Prefecture for so long, even though he rarely went out and stayed on the estate, Lu Chen was still recognized by some people.

Eighteen years is too long; we cannot find everyone who has seen "Lu Chen".

It will be very troublesome if the Eastern Depot finds a witness.

You must grow up outside, but this cannot be arranged by your father!

"What are your thoughts, elder brother?"

Lu Chen asked with a sincere expression.

"You were indeed switched at birth, but the only person who could have done that was your birth mother, Wang!"

Lu Bing slowly revealed his plan.

"The fact that she was favored by Prince Xing was something that Lady Wang secretly concealed. Not all women are willing to enter the Prince's mansion!"

In order to avoid being sent to the Prince of Xing's mansion to serve His Highness, Wang, who was once a maidservant by her mother's side, came up with a brilliant idea.

Before being sent to the Prince's mansion, she revealed her intention to seduce her father in front of her mother, deliberately provoking her mother to give her away to a servant in a fit of anger.

By the time Father found out about this, the deed was already done.

A maid who had already become a concubine in the Lu family could not naturally be sent to the Prince of Xing's mansion.

Father took the initiative to apologize to Prince Xing, saying that Mother had done this without his knowledge, and that given His Highness's favor towards the Lu family, the matter would naturally be dropped.

"Brother, there's still a problem!"

Lu Wei frowned.

"After Lady Wang was diagnosed with pregnancy, wouldn't Father suspect that she is carrying the child of Prince Xing?"

"Naturally, it's because the Wang family pulled off a elaborate deception."

Lu Bing smiled gently.

"Both of us have many wives and concubines. After a woman becomes pregnant, how long does it usually take to find out, and how is it discovered?"

"The first issue is 'absent menstruation,' but even if a woman is not pregnant, her period is often delayed for various reasons. To suspect pregnancy, one should wait at least a month or more."

Lu Wei thought for a moment,

"Women may experience some reactions after conception, such as nausea, vomiting, and food cravings, but these usually appear two or three months into the pregnancy."

"That's right, you can't actually tell if a woman is pregnant in the early stages."

Lu Bing nodded.

"After being given to Lu Kun as a concubine, Wang Shi faked her menstrual period once in a very short period of time."

The return of menstruation is irrefutable proof that pregnancy has not occurred, enough to dispel any doubts your father may have.

Even after her pregnancy became apparent, Wang bribed the doctor who examined her pulse to postpone conception for a while.

Since the conception occurred after Wang was given to Lu Kun as a concubine, Father would no longer pay attention to it.

"That does make sense."

Lu Wei pondered for a moment,

"However, in this way, Wang has successfully dispelled her father's doubts, and even Lu Kun believes that she is carrying his own child. How could the child have been switched?"

"It's naturally because of Lu Chen's face."

Lu Bing glanced at Lu Chen.

After Lu Kun accompanied his father to the capital, only Wang Shi and the children remained at the Chengtianfu estate.

At that time, Lu Chen was just over a year old and his appearance had not yet fully developed, so he did not look much like the Crown Prince of Xing.

But after they turn two or three years old, it becomes gradually noticeable.

Wang knew that if things continued this way, she would eventually be unable to keep it a secret, and once discovered, it would be a serious crime of deceiving the emperor.

It just so happened that a relative of hers had a boy the same age as Lu Chen, so she secretly took young Lu Chen back to her parents' home.

Lu Kun worked as a steward at our Lu family's estate for many years, and he also accompanied my father to the capital to serve as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He must have some family wealth.

Wang used some money to make a deal with her relatives to exchange the two children.

She took the substitute back to Chengtian Prefecture to live, leaving her biological son to be raised by relatives.

"As expected of my elder brother, in this way, it turns out that this whole thing was done by Wang Shi alone from beginning to end."

Lu Wei's eyes lit up.

"The entire Lu family, including my father, was kept in the dark by her."